women-of-inspiration Women of Inspiration Awards

2024 Women of Inspiration™ Awards

Celebrate with us in New York!

• Wednesday, November 6  – Networking Experience – New York Time Square *RSVP Required
• Thursday, November 7 – Women of Inspiration™ Celebration Luncheon 
• Friday, November 8 – Networking Experience – Fearless Girl  * RSVP Required

SPEAKERS AND PERFORMANCES

Elizabeth Blake Thomas – Co-Founder, Mother Daughter Entertainment, Founder, Medicine with Words  | Women of Inspiration™ Finalist

Elizabeth Blake-Thomas is an award-winning director, creativity coach, and philanthropist known for her contributions to film and personal development. She founded “Medicine with Words” to offer coaching that merges mindfulness with creative exercises for personal growth. With over 20 years in theater and 8 in film, she is regarded as a “personal trainer for the mind.” Alongside her daughter Isabella, she co-founded “Mother & Daughter Entertainment,” creating empowering films that highlight diverse voices, including titles like “Just Swipe” and “Hunt Club.” Her directorial work encompasses over 20 films showcased at major festivals like Sundance and Cannes.

Emma May – Founder and CEO, Sophie Grace | Women of Inspiration™ Finalist

Emma is the Founder of the digitally native apparel brand SophieGrace.ca She was a corporate lawyer for 10 years,  founded the boutique Real Estate Brokerage Charles Real Estate and is the proud mom of two young adults. Emma also served as the Executive Director of the Office of the Premier in Southern Alberta to former Alberta Premier Jim Prentice.

Katie Phipps – Founder and Managing Partner, Vera Causa | Women of Inspiration™ Finalist

Katie is the founder and Managing Partner of Vera Causa, a full-service marketing and communications agency based in Calgary, with a North American footprint. In her role, she is responsible for articulating and guiding the company vision and then building and integrating the business operations systems to achieve it. Vera Causa is one of Western Canada’s fastest-growing agencies with year-on-year growth exceeding 90 percent over three years. Her career in the marketing world has spanned nearly 20 years, touching many diverse brands along the way including Bayer, Nutrien, Alberta Beef, Heartland Polymers, FMC, Vestaron, ARBI and Edo. She’s a believer in big ideas, high-performance teams and delivering incredible and unexpected work for her clients. In 2024 Katie is launching The Lennox Project, a non-profit working to match donors with little girls who need access to extracurricular programming, helping build lifelong confidence.

Julissa Soto – Founder, Julissa Soto Latino Health Equity Consulting | 2024 Women of Inspiration™ Finalist

Julissa Soto stands at the forefront of the movement for Latino health equity, a beacon of empowerment and change dedicated to positive visibility. Through her advisory, Julissa Soto Latino Health Equity Consulting, she extends her influence from Colorado on a nationwide and global scale. Soto has trained over 5,000 health providers and presented to 10,000 healthcare professionals across 117 countries on the “Power of Cultural Validation. Julissa Soto has been a force of change, leading the charge for Latino immigrant equality, inclusion, and health equity in Colorado and across the entire world. From her roots in teen parent programs to her pivotal role on the Colorado Vaccine Equity Task Force to advocacy for health equity at the American Diabetes Association, Soto has relentlessly pioneered programs aimed at empowering marginalized communities. Julissa Soto’s journey embodies the power of advocacy and the transformative potential of disrupting the status quo.

Melodie Schaffer – Offshore Racer | 2024 Women of Inspiration™ Finalist

Melodie Schaffer’s first career was in biomedical engineering, where she developed a product that later became the gold standard in dialysis. Her second career was as a mom raising three children, which she did with the same dedication and focus. Her third career was to regain her childhood dream of Ocean racing. She started by scrubbing decks on race boats without pay. Following her dream to race around the world, she bought a used 40-foot boat, entering the Globe 40 inaugural race. As the only female skipper, she earned the respect of her male colleagues. Dealing with extremes of weather, winds, seas and gear breakage she completed the eight legs setting speed records and showing her indomitable spirit. Melodie loves offshore racing, but more, she loves inspiring other women and girls to see they can do anything they choose if they work hard and focus on their goal.

Dr. Marth Joan Hart – Founder Own Hart Foundation | 2024 Women of Inspiration™ Finalist

Dr. Martha Hart is the Founder and CEO of The Owen Hart Foundation, a Canadian charity dedicated to providing educational and housing support support. Established in memory of her late husband, Owen Hart, the foundation has made significant contributions to improving lives through scholarships, housing programs, and global charitable initiatives.

Sandra Filopolous – Co-Founder, Filo Imports Inc. | 2024 Women of Inspiration™ Finalist

Sandra Filopoulos is the Co-Founder of Filo Import Inc, a company specializing in importing unique products. With a strong entrepreneurial spirit, Sandra plays a key role in sourcing high-quality goods and building strategic partnerships. She is committed to delivering exceptional value and service to clients while fostering sustainable business practices. She is a source of inspiration within her own company, in her industry, but also in all the communities in which she is tirelessly involved.

Kris Ann Brady, Vice President and Marketing for BOLD Brands at Treasury Wine Estates

Kris Ann Brady is currently Vice President and Marketing for BOLD Brands at Treasury Wine Estates where she leads marketing for brands including 19 Crimes, Matua, Pessimist, and our newest female-led brand, Drop of Sunshine which is in collaboration with Hello Sunshine.  Prior to Treasury Wine Estates she worked at Bayer Consumer Health and Hunter Public Relations. She has a MBA from New York University and a BS in Communication from Cornell University. Kris Ann lives in New York City where she enjoys exploring the theater and restaurant scene, and is also an avid traveler.

Amy Aversa, Sweet Basil Catering – Founder and Creative Director, Amy Aversa

Sweet Basil Catering was founded by Amy Aversa, a professionally trained chef, food stylist, and award-winning caterer. Before immersing herself in the culinary arts, Amy had a career in the fashion industry. The skills she honed in the world of fashion have seamlessly translated into her catering business. Sweet Basil Catering is a woman-owned, full-service New York City catering & event planning company specializing in seasonal cuisine with beautiful presentation and top-notch service.

Monica Kretschmer – CEO, Universal Womens Network and Women of Inspiration™ Awards

Michael Burns – CEO, Canada’s Valour Games | 2019 Women of Inspiration™ SupportHER | UWN Advisor

Michael Burns was the CEO of the Invictus Games Toronto 2017. The Invictus Games are the largest international adaptive sports competition in the world featuring ill and injured soldiers and veterans. Burns led the execution of the Games, including building the organization from the ground up, which took more than two years. Under his leadership, the Games secured support from all three levels of government and more than 100 corporate and community partners and recruited more than 1,800 volunteers. The Toronto Invictus Games were completely sold out and generated the highest national and worldwide viewing audience ever for the Games.

Elizabeth Chan – Record Producer, Recording Artist, CEO, Merry Bright Music and New Yorker | 2024 Women of Inspiration™ Finalist

Since the launch of her debut album, “Everyday Holidays,” Chan has produced 12 albums of Christmas music, featuring multiple Top 20 Billboard hits and a Grammy-nominated spoken word and music album “The Queen of Christmas.” Her work has received critical acclaim and award nominations for her Christmas songwriting and music videos. In 2018, The New Yorker profiled Chan with the title “The Queen of Christmas.” She’s performed on Good Morning America and has been featured in Variety, USA Today, and People, among others. From September to Christmas, Chan and her music are featured on airwaves all over the country. Chan is also the CEO of Merry Bright Music Enterprises, an independently owned record label which exclusively produces Christmas and seasonal holiday content. The imprint, founded in 2012, has produced 12 albums in multiple languages and released dozens of Christmas singles worldwide. Chan lives with her husband and two daughters in Manhattan. Her daughter Noelle is often featured on Chan’s albums and videos, and is also known as the “Princess of Christmas.” Her catalog of Christmas music now numbers thousands of songs.

D.O. Gibson – Motivational Speaker, Recording Artist, Guinness World Record Holder, Longest Free Style Wrapper | 2023 Women of Inspiration™ SupportHER Awardee

Duane Gibson, aka D.O., is a two-time Guinness World Record-setting rapper, author, music executive and motivational speaker who has inspired hundreds of thousands of youth since 2001. He set a Guinness World Record by freestyling for 8 hours and 45 minutes and has performed worldwide, performing multiple tours in Asia, Europe, United States and touring nationally in Canada. Gibson has performed more than 3500 shows at schools across Canada.  In 2023, D.O. completed a 100-show cross-Canada Black Canadian history school tour, including a virtual conference, which was attended by over one hundred thousand youth from across Canada.  D.O. has had Snoop Dogg provide him with freestyle topics, had several videos play on MuchMusic, and Drake even appeared in one.

DJ Power – Award-Winning DJ/Producer | Women of Inspiration™ Finalist | @djpowermusic 

DJ Power is an award-winning DJ/Producer who has released music and performed with international artists such as Sean Paul, Davido, 50 Cent, Chainsmokers, Burna Boy, Vybz Kartel, Walshy Fire (Major Lazer), Afro B, Far East Movement, Wyclef Jean, Machel Montano & more. Power’s productions have been featured in the NY Times, Complex, Fader among countless others. He’s made appearances on acclaimed networks such as MTV, BBC UK, VH1, MTV Base and more. His name precedes him at world-class venues and festivals including Paris Olympics 2024, Marquee (New York and Sydney), Fresh Island Festival (Croatia), Midem (France), Aloha Stadium (Hawaii), Sapphire Pool Club (Las Vegas), Full Moon Party Zanzibar and more. He’s toured North America, the Caribbean, Asia, Africa and Australia several times.

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